Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 nor profit from this fanfiction.
Slip of the Tongue
by MalletGirlAkane
Four
Ranma and Akane sat at the table, silently eating the supper Kasumi had prepared for them prior to her absence. Ranma had been immensely grateful for her consideration but Akane had not really seen the point. She would have been glad to have prepared dinner for the two of them, after all.
They had decided that the best thing for them to do was work together to solve the fiancée problem and save any... explorations of their newfound feelings for each other until it was safe to do so in a relatively public manner. Both had pretended that they had no problems with this arrangement while secretly shooting wistful glances at one another's back.
As Akane daintily at her meal, Ranma had long since finished his, she considered all of the incredible changes that had occurred in such a short period of time. She felt a hot tingle in the pit of her stomach thinking that Ranma had kissed her, not once but twice. This was inevitably replaced by a cold disappointment that both kisses had been cut distressingly short. Then that feeling was replaced by a glorious glow which seemed to start in the center of her chest and radiate to out to her fingertips and toes when she remembered that it did not matter, she would have plenty of time to kiss Ranma because he had chosen her. Thoughts of kissing Ranma would cause the hot tingles to return to the pit of her stomach and the whole cycle would begin again.
Throughout this emotional rollercoaster ride, she tried very, very hard to keep her eyes off of Ranma. Since his admission of his feelings for her (or lack of feelings for her rivals, at least), he had seemed to change before her eyes. He suddenly became handsomer, more manly, and his quirks, which normally drove her nuts, had become endearing. She gave it a week before she was back to clobbering him over the head, but in the meantime she was rather enjoying it. Regardless, it took a good deal of willpower to keep her eyes off of him.
It certainly did not help that he had been staring at her since they had arrived home.
Attempting to lighten the weight of his eyes on her, Akane set down her chopsticks and asked, "So... Do you have any plans to get rid of them?"
Ranma's cheek twitched, just below his right eye. Guiltily, he replied, "I was kind of hopin' you would."
"Well, whatever you do, don't constantly insult them and put them down!" she laughed.
The dark-haired martial artist gave her a puzzled look, "Why?"
Because they might fall in love with you, Akane thought. She just barely managed to snap her teeth shut before the comment slipped past her lips. She coughed and waved her hand airily, "Never mind."
Ranma's confused look did not fade so she quickly returned to the subject at hand. "I don't know, Ranma, but I'm sure we'll work something out. Why don't you just concentrate on Ukyo and I'll work on Shampoo, ok? But... don't do anything without talking about it with me first." She may be... willing to marry him, but that did not mean she trusted him not to make things worse.
The smile of pure gratitude that Ranma gave her melted her heart. She found herself appreciating the curve of his lips in a whole new way. No! Bad Akane! she berated herself, Not until the others are... aw, look at that cute dimple... Bad!
Desperate to get her suddenly disobedient mind off of her suddenly highly attractive fiancé, Akane jumped to her feet and took their dishes to the kitchen. She took her time cleaning them and putting them away. When she returned to the living room she found that Ranma had turned on the television to an old kung-fu movie.
From the moment she entered the room he stopped watching the show in favor of watching her. Again. Intent on ignoring how intensely he was looking at her, Akane tried to watch the movie.
It was, unsurprisingly, hopeless.
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Ranma's brows were drawn down and the corner of his mouth was twitching toward a little frown. Suddenly nervous, she turned to him. "What?"
He answered without hesitation, "I wanna do it right."
"D-do what?" she stammered.
"Kiss you," he replied, firmly.
Squelching the lovely, warm feeling that threatened to overwhelm her at his words, Akane said, "I thought we agreed to wait?"
Ranma frowned and Akane could clearly see pride warring with desire on his face. Desire for... me?
"It's just one kiss," he said, "We deserve that much. And anyway, no one'll see us. What can one little kiss hurt?"
Akane felt a pang of foreboding at these ominous words but was too eager to be convinced to argue. Suppressing a little shiver of anticipation, she nodded.
Ranma moved over to where she sat on the floor and crouched before her. His eyes had darkened with seriousness again. In a low voice he told her, "But we have ta agree that the other ones don't count. This is gonna be our first kiss, ok?"
Suddenly unable to find her voice, she simply nodded again.
His eyes were cold, blue steel. Akane realized that he looked more as if he were headed into battle than preparing to kiss his fiancée. At the same time, she could not deny the need behind his hard expression. Taking both of her hands in his own, he drew her to her feet.
With no hesitation beyond a small, nervous swallow, his arms were around her, at the small of her back and behind her shoulders. Akane felt her breath leave her and her pulse quicken as he drew her body to his own. He sent her a silent plea and, obligingly, she allowed her eyes to drift closed. There was no long wait, this time, just a slightly timid warmth on her lips.
It was a very chaste and modest kiss. Akane was certain that it was. Why, then, was her heart crashing in her chest, pouring molten lava through her veins? Why was his hand sliding from her shoulder to tangle in her short hair? Why were her own hands clutching at his silk Chinese shirt like a lifeline in a storm? Why could she feel herself falling, floating, only supported by his strong, sure arms?
When at last they reluctantly broke the kiss, they stayed there, breathing heavily and staring at each other with wide, amazed eyes. Both of them knew that Ranma had been wrong. With 'one little kiss' they had both become hopelessly addicted.